IMPORT DBASE IV (DBF) FILE TO SQL SERVER 2005

Hi,
I am wondering if anyone knows of a reliable tool for importing Foxpro
(dbase) (dbf) files to SQL Server?
I have inherted this task from a former employee. I have been using an
Access database with an ODBC link to SQL Server for the import task -
and it worked fine until last week. For some reason, it just quit
importing one of the dbase files.
So, I tried use "db workbench" to convert the dbase file to a text file
first, then tried to import it into Access. It apparently "worked", but
the data got totally corrupted in the process.
Now, I am back at square one - and I need a tool I can use to either
1.) import the dbase file directly to SQL Server, or 2.) a reliable
tool for converting the dbase file to a text file, csv, or xls file for
importing into SQL Server.
Any ideas/suggestions greatly appreciated!
Thanks much
CORRECTION: I used "DBF Viewer", not "db workbench" to convert to text
file
tootsu...@.gmail.com wrote:
> Hi,
> I am wondering if anyone knows of a reliable tool for importing Foxpro
> (dbase) (dbf) files to SQL Server?
> I have inherted this task from a former employee. I have been using an
> Access database with an ODBC link to SQL Server for the import task -
> and it worked fine until last week. For some reason, it just quit
> importing one of the dbase files.
> So, I tried use "db workbench" to convert the dbase file to a text file
> first, then tried to import it into Access. It apparently "worked", but
> the data got totally corrupted in the process.
> Now, I am back at square one - and I need a tool I can use to either
> 1.) import the dbase file directly to SQL Server, or 2.) a reliable
> tool for converting the dbase file to a text file, csv, or xls file for
> importing into SQL Server.
> Any ideas/suggestions greatly appreciated!
> Thanks much
|||I have the same issue, and found that the driver for dbf files is not
included in the sql2005 install. I had to go to msdn.microsoft.com to get
the foxpro driver files and installed it. I can now at least locate the dbf
and attempt the import, but it is only importing the first 20 rows of 16,000
set. Interested to see what other answers you get becasue I could get only
one person even attempting to help me, and she got me as far as this.
<tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1158866292.228863.307680@.h48g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
> Hi,
> I am wondering if anyone knows of a reliable tool for importing Foxpro
> (dbase) (dbf) files to SQL Server?
> I have inherted this task from a former employee. I have been using an
> Access database with an ODBC link to SQL Server for the import task -
> and it worked fine until last week. For some reason, it just quit
> importing one of the dbase files.
> So, I tried use "db workbench" to convert the dbase file to a text file
> first, then tried to import it into Access. It apparently "worked", but
> the data got totally corrupted in the process.
> Now, I am back at square one - and I need a tool I can use to either
> 1.) import the dbase file directly to SQL Server, or 2.) a reliable
> tool for converting the dbase file to a text file, csv, or xls file for
> importing into SQL Server.
> Any ideas/suggestions greatly appreciated!
> Thanks much
>
|||Update - I just discovered the *easiest* way to do this! You can open
DBF files with Microsoft Excel - then just save as an xls - then import
- viola - works!
Don't know why I didn't discover this earlier. No need for any special
tools, or dts.
JC HARRIS wrote:[vbcol=seagreen]
> I have the same issue, and found that the driver for dbf files is not
> included in the sql2005 install. I had to go to msdn.microsoft.com to get
> the foxpro driver files and installed it. I can now at least locate the dbf
> and attempt the import, but it is only importing the first 20 rows of 16,000
> set. Interested to see what other answers you get becasue I could get only
> one person even attempting to help me, and she got me as far as this.
>
> <tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1158866292.228863.307680@.h48g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
|||Hi!
Yes, older format DBFs can be opened with Excel but you will lose the
content of any Memo fields. As an alternative you can download and install
the FoxPro and Visual FoxPro OLE DB data provider from
msdn.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/downloads/updates and then use the SQL Server
Import Wizard or set up a linked server.
Cindy Winegarden MCSD, Microsoft Most Valuable Professional
cindy@.cindywinegarden.com
<tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1158874680.304855.200110@.h48g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
> Update - I just discovered the *easiest* way to do this! You can open
> DBF files with Microsoft Excel - then just save as an xls - then import
> - viola - works!
[vbcol=seagreen]
|||What Cindy says is correct. I could not use the excel method because of the
dbf size (overflows the excel program). I followed Cindy's instrcution on
another newsgroup and it worked great.
"Cindy Winegarden" <cindy@.cindywinegarden.com> wrote in message
news:OwD1qPl3GHA.4924@.TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> Hi!
> Yes, older format DBFs can be opened with Excel but you will lose the
> content of any Memo fields. As an alternative you can download and install
> the FoxPro and Visual FoxPro OLE DB data provider from
> msdn.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/downloads/updates and then use the SQL Server
> Import Wizard or set up a linked server.
> --
> Cindy Winegarden MCSD, Microsoft Most Valuable Professional
> cindy@.cindywinegarden.com
>
> <tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1158874680.304855.200110@.h48g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
>
>
|||Hi Cindy,
Thanks for the information. I don't know if I have any memo fields -
how can I tell?
Would the column just show up as blank in Excel?
Thanks!
Cindy Winegarden wrote:[vbcol=seagreen]
> Hi!
> Yes, older format DBFs can be opened with Excel but you will lose the
> content of any Memo fields. As an alternative you can download and install
> the FoxPro and Visual FoxPro OLE DB data provider from
> msdn.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/downloads/updates and then use the SQL Server
> Import Wizard or set up a linked server.
> --
> Cindy Winegarden MCSD, Microsoft Most Valuable Professional
> cindy@.cindywinegarden.com
>
> <tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1158874680.304855.200110@.h48g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
|||Hi Cindy,
Yes, I see what you mean - the memo fields are blank in Excel.
I went to the link you listed below, but I don't know which file to
download? They all seem like service packs. Is this the right page?
Help.
THANKS
Cindy Winegarden wrote:[vbcol=seagreen]
> Hi!
> Yes, older format DBFs can be opened with Excel but you will lose the
> content of any Memo fields. As an alternative you can download and install
> the FoxPro and Visual FoxPro OLE DB data provider from
> msdn.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/downloads/updates and then use the SQL Server
> Import Wizard or set up a linked server.
> --
> Cindy Winegarden MCSD, Microsoft Most Valuable Professional
> cindy@.cindywinegarden.com
>
> <tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1158874680.304855.200110@.h48g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
|||"JC HARRIS" <harris1113@.fake.com> wrote in message
news:%230YkfWm3GHA.4976@.TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> What Cindy says is correct. I could not use the excel method because of
the
> dbf size (overflows the excel program). I followed Cindy's instrcution on
> another newsgroup and it worked great.
If you have it available, you might the Office 2007 Beta version of Excel.
It increases the number of records immensely.
Jonathan
|||Hi!
http://msdn.microsoft.com/vfoxpro/downloads/updates/ , second item. It
points to
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en .
Cindy Winegarden MCSD, Microsoft Most Valuable Professional
cindy@.cindywinegarden.com
<tootsuite@.gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1158946224.807292.64180@.m7g2000cwm.googlegrou ps.com...
> Hi Cindy,
> Yes, I see what you mean - the memo fields are blank in Excel.
> I went to the link you listed below, but I don't know which file to
> download? They all seem like service packs. Is this the right page?
> Help.
> THANKS
>
> Cindy Winegarden wrote:
>